


The Way Things Should Be

by FifiandBogart



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:53:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26556157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FifiandBogart/pseuds/FifiandBogart
Summary: Five has spent far too long chasing a single goal, with continuously disastrous luck. Now that he's done, it's time to tie up loose ends so he can have the ending he so direly deserves.
Relationships: Dolores/Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Number Five | The Boy & The Handler (Umbrella Academy)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. A Second, Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> So I've officially decided that I'm not done with Five yet ;p (Clearly, as this is my 2nd fic about him)
> 
> It always made me sad how much he LOATHED being stuck in his child body but STILL put his own happiness on the back-burner so he could focus on saving everybody else...
> 
> I wanted to do the only thing I could think of to help relieve some of his suffering, and that's writing him into a new story where I can fix his tragic circumstances
> 
> I love him so much, so I hope you'll all enjoy my take on his happy ending :)

Five awoke with a jolt in a room he didn’t recognize, not remembering how he got there in the first place. Ignoring his predicament, he was used to the bizarre at this point, he lay still and tried to pinpoint if he felt wounded. He couldn’t explain it, but there was something different about him… He felt… stronger, heavier. That’s when he noticed his body was strange yet familiar.

Five couldn’t believe it. He looked down at his shaking hands and took note of the weathered skin he saw there. He jumped out of the bed and rushed to a mirror across the room, gasping at his reflection. Staring back at him was his 58-year-old self, causing Five to practically choke with relief. Slowly, as if afraid to jinx it, he raised his hands to his face, feeling his mustache and the tasteful wrinkles on his cheeks. He patted down his chest, his stomach, his…

He closed his eyes with a grateful sigh after confirming that his package was back to its intended size. Now that he had processed the fact that he was indeed back in his original body, his brain started racing over how it could have happened.

“Come on, Five, THINK! What’s the last thing you remember?”

He ran through his most recent memories: killing the board, making a deal for the briefcase, successfully rounding up all 5 of his siblings to the alley, and… then…?

As he was thinking, an agreeable purr came into the room from the doorway and he turned to find himself face-to-face with the Handler. She leaned against the doorframe, looking him up and down with a smirk.

“Mmm MMM, there’s the silver fox I’ve been waiting such a long time to see.”

“You… Did you have something to do with this?”

She scoffed in mock offense as she took a few steps closer, never taking her eyes off him. His brow furrowed as he watched her suspiciously.

“Why do you sound so surprised? I already told you we were working on getting your body back to normal, didn’t I?”

“Well, yes, but I just assumed you were lying to get me to do your bidding.”

Her smile faltered ever so slightly and the humor left her eyes. He caught a glimpse of the person he had come to respect before her greed and selfishness had twisted her agenda. Against his better judgement, he lowered his guard to hear what she had to say.

“I do a lot of things for the good of the timeline, Five, but there are some things I don’t joke about. You of all people should know that.”

“What happened after I jumped forward with my family? Did we make it? I can’t seem to recall the events that happened after the briefcase activated.”

“Well, it seemed to me that the perfect opportunity to change your body back would be the few numbing seconds in your jump between 1963 and 2019, so that’s when I switched you.”

She shrugged as if it was the most logical explanation in the world, and he had to admit it made sense. He crossed his arms, trying to take it in. The Handler continued while he was still getting used to it all.

“Unfortunately, it must have been too much of a shock to change so quickly, so your body had a seizure upon arrival in 2019. Your precious siblings didn’t know how to help, doing nothing but just staring dumbly at your twitching body, so I had to step in. I was keeping a close watch on you, just in case, and it’s a good thing I did. I took you to my place until your body could properly adjust, and TADA! Here you are!”

Five nodded solemnly, accepting the wild situation with relative ease. It seemed that his endless journey was somehow coming to an end, after a lifetime of fighting. He was in the right body, his family was safe and back where they belonged, and the apocalypse was a distant memory that would never bother them again. He slumped his shoulders, not even realising how much weight had been lifted off his conscience.

The Handler was standing close now, close enough for Five to smell her perfume. He sighed, knowing that the two of them had unfinished business that needed to be resolved before he could move forward. She stepped directly in front of him, so he had no choice but to meet her gaze head on.

“Five… You don’t know how much I’ve missed seeing you… like this…” she whispered with longing, placing both her hands on either side of his face.

Without another word, she brought their mouths together, kissing him with a passion he didn’t reciprocate. He didn’t push her off right away, allowing her one last taste as a way of saying goodbye. But after a few seconds, he firmly removed her hands from his face and pulled away, shaking his head slowly.

“I’m sorry… We can’t be together that way anymore…”

Five saw anger, humiliation, loneliness, and despair flash across her face in quick succession before she turned away. For awhile, neither one of them spoke, both lost in their own thoughts. Five decided he should be the one to offer an explanation, since he was the one leaving.

“I told you before I was done with the killing… I finally have all I’ve ever worked for… My form is restored, humanity is saved, and I’ve done my part in this world. All I want to do now is to live out the rest of my days with my family and the woman I love by my side and… I think you know that’s not you. I truly am sorry, Helen.”

A defeated sadness swam in her eyes at the sound of her real name, a name only he knew. He squeezed her arm fondly, looking at her with an earnest sympathy before moving past her and heading towards the door. He only managed to make it a few steps before she acted, making one last desperate attempt to spend a few more precious seconds with him.

“Five, wait!” she called out shakily, grabbing his wrist and holding tight, causing him to look back at her once more, “I don’t regret a thing.”

He gave her a wistful smile. For his pain, for their connection, and for the times they spent together, they shared one final meaningful look before he turned and walked out of her life forever.


	2. Gang's All Here

As soon as he left the Handler’s house, Five hurried to his destination with an anxious determination. He had no way of knowing if Dolores would even be where he left her, or if the employees had tossed her out first chance they got. He tried to shake away his nervous energy as he entered the building, not letting his hopes get too high. He looked around expectantly and his heart skipped when he found her.

There she was, wearing a brand new sequin no less! Five exhaled with relief, feeling quite moved that his suggestion had been taken seriously. He approached her with a full heart, realizing just how much he had been yearning to be with her again.

“Dolores… My love… I’m finally back, in more ways than one…”

He gestured to himself to show off his new/old body, grinning broadly. He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear him.

“I missed you too. Now that everything is said and done, I want to get back together with you. That is, if you’ll take me.”

A tender look crossed his face at her response, and he stroked her cheek softly. Five looked around discreetly, making sure he wasn’t being watched as he placed Dolores carefully in his travel bag and left the store hastily.

The only thing left to do was head home to the people he had been aching to be with his entire life. The easiest thing to do would be to blink himself back home, but he had experienced more than enough bad luck with his powers in the past, so he decided to take it slow. Besides, he still wanted to give his body more of a test run, so he opted for a stroll.

After a few minutes, the Umbrella Academy came into view and Five noticed that all his siblings were standing outside the front door just waiting for him. Luther was the first one to see his approach and he alerted everyone else by waving his arms in the air.

“Five! Hey, Five! Over here!” Luther exclaimed excitedly, smiling like a happy puppy and gesturing for Five to join them.

He didn’t even make it all the way before the others rushed forward and crowded around him, all speaking over each other at once, asking if he was okay and expressing how glad they were to see him safe and back to his proper age. He spread his arms, turning in a circle to show off his mature masculinity to his astonished family.

Diego clapped him on the back, Vanya touched his arm reassuringly, and Klaus planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek, which Five begrudgingly wiped off. All of them were dying to know what had happened to him and what news of the apocalypse he brought. Starting at his deal with the Handler, Five relayed everything that had happened leading up to right now. Both the 1963 apocalypse and the 2019 apocalypse had been taken out of the equation permanently, meaning they could go back to living their lives happy and free of fear.

The 6 of them stood still for a few minutes, trying to absorb it all. It seemed like a lifetime that they had been trying to stop this thing, which was true in the case of Five, and they all relished this rare moment of quiet. With an unspoken understanding, they all drew closer to Five and wrapped him in a group hug.

“You did it, Five… You saved the world…” Vanya whispered with wavering emotion.

Five’s eyes filled with tears, wanting nothing but to hear those exact words for the last 45 years… He let himself be held by his family, savoring the moment he had thought about so many times. He was tired, so tired, and now that his work was completed, he could FINALLY rest. He collected himself after the hug ended, clearing his throat gruffly and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Well! Anybody up for a drink?” Diego said wearily, already opening the front gate and climbing the stairs.

After the day they all had, no one refused.

“The rest of you can go on ahead. I have someone who could do with some fresh air.” Five said as he set his pack down gently, unzipped it, and lifted Dolores out into the open.

Allison and Vanya nodded and went in together, chatting about their time in the 60s while Luther shuffled awkwardly behind them. Klaus sauntered up to Five after the others had dispersed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“I see you two lovebirds are back together again,” he nodded his chin towards Dolores.

“Very astute observation, Klaus,” Five replied with good-natured sarcasm.

“Well well, now that you’re both not trapped in the apocalypse anymore, I think it’s high time to take advantage of what the modern world has to offer.”

“Yes, I suppose. Where are you going with this?”

Klaus giggled as he pulled out his phone, typing something in while Five watched him with a skeptical expectation.

“Oh, that’s right. You probably don’t even own a cell phone, do you? Silly me. Here, let me write it down for you, come on.”

He slung his arm over Five’s shoulders and steered him inside the house that now, presumably, belonged to them. Now that the threat had been neutralized and there was no more need to worry about impending doom, Five had the time to appreciate the nostalgia. As Klaus fumbled around looking for a pen, Five allowed himself an unhurried moment to take in the familiarity of his childhood home for the first time since he returned. He took a deep breath and the scent of leather and paperback books filled his nostrils, bringing back bittersweet memories. Before the darker recollections had time to resurface, Five was pulled out of his reminiscing by Klaus exclaiming loudly.

“AHA! I knew there had to be a pen around here!”

He scribbled something frantically on a piece of paper and handed it to Five with a hint of playfulness. Five took it and looked down to see nothing but an address he didn’t recognize.

“Are you gonna tell me what this is or are you going to make me guess?” Five said with immense confusion in his voice.

Klaus glanced around, making sure they were alone, then leaned forward to whisper in Five’s ear.

“Bring Dolores with you, I think you’ll both enjoy the experience together. It’s the best sex shop in the city.”

Five cleared his throat harshly, trying to fight the tiny blush that formed on his cheeks to no avail. Despite his embarrassment, he shoved the note in his pocket for future investigation.

“There will be time for that later, Klaus, now that the frantic panic is over and done with. I think for my first night back, I just want to enjoy being with my family knowing they will all live long and happy lives.”

Klaus winked and held up a bottle of beer, leaving Five wondering where he even got it from, and the two of them joined the rest of their siblings for an evening of drinking, carefree laughter, and love.


	3. A New Lease On Life

**_Alone alone alone. Forever. You will never see your family again. Alone alone ALONE!_ **

Five woke up in a cold sweat gasping for breath until his arms found Dolores. He held her close as the nightmares faded and reality set in. He found himself in a soft bed and remembered that he was back home and his family was nearby in the other rooms. He slowed his breathing as he stroked Dolores’ back, grateful for her presence.

His head hurt and he noticed that he had fallen asleep in the nude, so he pulled the blanket higher and relaxed into the comfort. After a minute or two, he turned onto his side so that he was face-to-face with his lover. They simply lay together side by side, naked and content. Five stared lovingly into her eyes as he ran his fingers lazily up and down her one good arm. His joy was overwhelming, so he leaned forward to kiss her sweet lips, causing a low rumble in his throat.

“God, I missed being with you like this,” he breathed, “It seemed wrong to even think about you that way in that puny body I trapped myself in. Maybe, subconsciously, that’s why I felt I had to give you up. Everything is how it should be now, but I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”

He kissed her again, slow and hungry, until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. He groaned out of habit, but was secretly thrilled that there were people around to interrupt him at all. He sat up in bed and made sure the blanket sufficiently covered the parts he didn’t want seen before inviting in whoever was at the door. The door creaked open slowly and Vanya timidly came into view, looking more humble than usual.

“Ah, Vanya. Good morning. What can I do for you?” Five said casually as he pulled over a t-shirt that he found within reach.

"Well…” she began hesitantly, “in all the excitement last night, I didn’t get the chance to bring it up, but there’s something I really need to tell you.”

She was avoiding looking directly at him and fidgeting nervously, causing Five to narrow his eyes suspiciously. She opened and closed her mouth multiple times, and Five was getting a bit nervous thinking there was still something wrong with the timeline.

“You didn’t get altered in the jump, did you? Or notice anything strange when we got back??”

“No, no, nothing like that, don’t worry. It’s just…” she took a moment to steel herself, “I know you told me not to, but I brought Sissy and Harlan with us at the last second…”

“Vanya! I thought we had talked about this! You don’t know what could have happened!” Five closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his forehead with exasperation.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I had to follow my heart. Don’t you understand? There may be methods that allow Harlan to communicate more effectively than anything found in 1963! And Sissy and I can finally have a proper, legal wedding, which was another thing that was unheard of back then! They don’t have to be stuck in a life where they’re treated as inconveniences, as defective, just for existing! I COULDN’T leave them in a time that was crushing them!”

Five let her finish her passionate speech and discovered that he was actually glad that Vanya got what she wanted. After their upbringing and everything they had been through, it was about time that they allowed themselves a little optimism. Still, he had a reputation to uphold, so he pretended to mull it over irritably.

“Ugh, FINE! But I hope you know what you’re doing. I’ll check the books later to see if anything substantial has been changed in history because of your decision. But Vanya…? Take care of each other.”

A smile that put the sun to shame spread over her face and her eyes twinkled with glee.

“Thank you, Five. I don’t know why, but it means a lot to me to have your blessing. I love you, bro.”

“I… love you too…” Five replied, getting unexpectedly choked up.

“Well, anyway, I think Luther is making breakfast for us all if you wanna join us when you’re ready.”

And just like that, she was gone and Five was alone with Dolores once again. He looked at her and smirked.

“I think you’re right. Today WOULD be a good day to check it out… It’s been awhile since…” he trailed off, chuckling devilishly, “Breakfast first then we’ll go out together. We can call it a date.”

He kissed her head and got out of bed, dressing quickly before heading downstairs to meet his siblings. Breakfast was pleasant, albeit a bit too rowdy for so early in the morning, but Five enjoyed it nonetheless. Everyone already had plans for the day which made Five’s outing less conspicuous, so that suited him just fine.

Allison wanted to see Claire before she did anything else and Luther wanted to tag along with her, Vanya was going to show Sissy and Harlan around town to get them used to their new environment, Diego left to go find another conspiracy to chase, and Klaus… Well, Five wasn’t sure exactly WHAT Klaus was getting up to, but his brother had grown up a heck of a lot in the recent years, so Five trusted he would stay out of trouble.

After everyone had left, Five pulled the address out of his pocket and took the car to the location written. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he pulled up to the front of the shop, appropriately named ‘Naughty Bits’, so he put off going in right away. His fingers strummed the steering wheel restlessly as he let the engine idle.

“Wha- I am NOT! Why would you even say that? You know what? Fine. Let’s just go.”

He exited the vehicle, going to the passengers’ side to open the door for Dolores, and entered the shop with her before he could change his mind. His eyes widened in awe as he took in the vastness of the place. Aisles upon aisles of merchandise and outfits stretched before him and the culture shock caused him to freeze up right there in the entranceway.

A friendly looking woman with bright pink hair came over, eyeing Dolores knowingly, and asked if he needed any assistance. He shook his head gruffly but thanked her anyway. He wandered around, taking in the sheer amount of toys and tools he didn’t even know existed. His brain struggled trying to decide where to even begin when Dolores made her own suggestion.

“Lingerie, huh? Okay, no problem, you deserve something fancy. Do you see anything you like?”

They looked over all sorts of black bras, red bras, silky bras, and lacey bras, until Dolores discovered the one she HAD to have. It was dark blue with a black trim and the flower pattern was sheer lace. Five bit his lip to keep from growling at the thought of her wearing it and moved on to the rest of the store. He passed by handcuffs, anal beads, cock rings, and dildos, deliberating on what would work best for their… unique situation.

Finally, his attention fell on something special and his eyes flashed with excitement. He picked up something called a ‘fleshlight’ that was somehow an exact replica of a human vagina, and Five automatically knew that’s what he needed to make his time with Dolores even more exceptional. His body was beginning to stir and he felt the first stages of arousal as he quickly paid for the toy and the bra and left the store in a hurry.

Dolores teased him by whispering seductively and resting her hand on his thigh as he drove back to the house as fast as he could. He fondled her tits as he fought to concentrate on the road, speeding ever so slightly. Fortunately, it was a short drive and they arrived in minutes, bursting out of the car with their new purchases and rushing into the house. They barely made it inside the front door before the dam broke and Five desperately covered her mouth with his. They didn’t stop making out as they stumbled up the stairs and towards Five’s room, unable to keep their hands off each other.

Once in the privacy of the bedroom, Five shut the door and slammed Dolores against the wall, moving his lips to her neck to suck and lick fervently. He only wished he could mark her as his with deep red bruising, but her body was made differently. Despite that fact, Five had fun trying regardless, moaning into her pale skin.

Moving her to the bed, his hands trembled as he adjusted the bra over her breasts and stepped back to admire her sexiness. He lay her down on her back and grabbed the fleshlight from the bag. Not taking his eyes off her form for even an instant, he quickly stripped and positioned himself on top of her, chest to chest.

“I’m going inside you now, Dolores… Are you ready for me?”

He smiled down at her and nodded, easing the toy snugly over his already hardened cock. As he fit himself all the way in, he released a moan, long and low. He looked into Dolores’ eyes as he pumped in and out in a smooth rhythm. Their sex life in the apocalypse had been plenty satisfying, but having access to all these new adventurous elements was going to make things a hellovalot more audacious.

“Mmm, Dolores… God, Dolores… You’re so fucking fine… I want you.”

He cradled his hand behind her neck as he closed his eyes, letting the sensations flow through him. He rocked his hips and kissed her hard and already felt himself getting close to release. His eyes fluttered open and his gaze landed on Dolores’ nipples poking through her new bra, which was enough to send him over the edge. His throat strained with the pleasure and he grit his teeth to keep from being too loud, lest his siblings come home and overhear. He came and came until his cum started leaking out the edge of the toy and he eventually collapsed on the bed, careful not to land on Dolores.

He lay staring at the ceiling, breathing deeply and waiting for the bright spots on the border of his vision to go away. After he felt his energy return, he kissed Dolores’ hand and looked at her like she was the only woman in the world.

“I love you so much, god dammit. Hmm? Yes, I agree, we SHOULD go back there and try out different things. No, I wouldn’t be opposed to that either…”

Since the two of them didn’t have any other pressing matters to take care of, they spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling and laughing in bed together, planning future bedroom activities and enjoying each other’s company until the sun set.


End file.
